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4th in the series looking at the 5 key points from a non English-language article / event

1. This was the 2nd Donetsk presser between the respective heads of the DPR and LPR, the first being back in early February. A gap of a few months, lots of event inbetween and inevitable questions arise as to relations between DPR and LPR, and their leaders, with a public, and perception gulf between the two of them – Zakharchenko an ever assured, popular figure, Plotnitsky ever mired in controversy after high-profile deaths of several popular figures in the LPR.

2. The official reason for the press conference was to ask the UN to conduct a tribunal to investigate the war crimes of Ukrainian soldiers in Donbass, as announced by Igor Plotnitsky.

3. Multiple figures pertaining to war crimes had been compiled – Zakharchenko gave this information, that 3,684 citizens had been killed in Donbass in time of war, of them 523 women, 65 children, 1212 killed in 2015.

4. Relations between Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky seem reasonable. There is neither obvious warmth or enmity between the pair. This press conference was short, 13 minutes, and to the point, with no forum for questions after. Whereas the previous presser had some levity, this was more factual, albeit covering similar ground – with Plotnitsky reiterating his earlier points that those in the USA, UK, and more, who created countries were called ‘founders’, while those in Donbass were called separatists.

5. This press conference was followed up by one today, by DPR Defence Spokesman Edward Basurin, which contained a detailed, and chronological list of those killed in conflict, and further re-iterated the request for a tribunal. With hostilities here still waging, but the situation much calmer than it was a month ago, attention for now has clearly turned to analysis, and compiling figures pertaining to losses sustained in war.